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Observers routinely make errors in almost any visual search task. In previous online experiments, we found that indiscriminately highlighting all item positions in a noisy search display reduces errors. In the present paper, we conducted two eye tracking studies to investigate the mechanics of this error reduction: does cueing direct attention to previously overlooked regions or enhance attention/processing at cued locations? Displays were presented twice. In Experiment 1, for half of the displays, the cue was only presented on the first copy (Cue - noCue) and for the other half, only presented on the second copy (noCue - Cue). Cueing successfully reduced errors but did not significantly affect RTs. This contrasts with the online experiment where the cue increased RTs while reducing errors. In Experiment 2, we replicated the design of the online experiment by splitting the displays into noCue – noCue and noCue – Cue pairs. We now found that the cue reduced errors, but increased RTs on trials with high- contrast targets. The eye tracking data shows that participants fixated closer to items and fixation durations were shorter in cued displays. The smaller fixation-item distance reduced search errors, where observers never fixated the target, for low contrast targets and the remaining low-contrast errors seemed to be recognition errors, where observers looked at the target but quickly looked away. Taken together, these results suggest that errors were reduced because attention was more properly directed to overlooked regions by the cues instead of being enhanced at the cued areas.
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Eccentricity effects on blur and depth perception
Foveation and (de)focus are two important visual factors in designing near eye displays. Foveation can reduce computational load by lowering display details towards the visual periphery, while focal cues can reduce vergence-accommodation conflict thereby lessening visual discomfort in using near eye displays. We performed two psychophysical experiments to investigate the relationship between foveation and focus cues. The first study measured blur discrimination sensitivity as a function of visual eccentricity, where we found discrimination thresholds significantly lower than previously reported. The second study measured depth discrimination threshold where we found a clear dependency on visual eccentricity. We discuss the study results and suggest further investigation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1650499
- PAR ID:
- 10135676
- Publisher / Repository:
- Optical Society of America
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Optics Express
- Volume:
- 28
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 1094-4087; OPEXFF
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: Article No. 6734
- Size(s):
- Article No. 6734
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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